After All
by toothlessbean
Summary: What happens after the battle of hogwarts? Life for the Weaslys, Harry and the Malfoys after the final battle. POV of Harry, George and maybe Draco. Please read and Review!
1. Morning After

AN: this is my first story, please read and review. Hope you enjoy!

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Harry woke with a start. It was still dark out. He was lying in his bed, in his dorm. The only thing breaking the silence was Neville's breathing. Harry sat up. The darkness made him think it was still night, but no it was morning. A grey and cloudy morning true but morning none the less. He turned towards Ron's bed. If Neville was here perhaps Ron was also.

"Ron?" Harry whispered.

No answer. Harry sat up and looked over to Ron's bed. There was no one there. The sheets were messed up, and the pillow as wet.

Wait, thought Harry, why is the pillow wet? Unless Ron had been crying. Crying.

Suddenly it came crashing down on Harry. Sobbing, tears, the screams. _Fred, Fred! _Images of Lupin and Tonks and Colin and, and Fred. Of course Ron was crying, Harry thought, how could I have forgotten? But he knew why. Maybe if he didn't think about it, he would go down stairs to see Ron and there would be nine read heads waiting to congratulate him. Not just eight. Harry knew he should go down to the Great Hall, talk to Mrs. Weasly. She was surely worried about him. She always worried about him. But how could he face her? Face all of the Weaslys? It was his fault that Fred wasn't there to celebrate the defeat of Voldemort with them. Harry was also sure that if he went downstairs, people would follow him, talk to him, and congratulate him. But Harry didn't want to be the hero, just for one day.


	2. Waiting

George sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. The rest of the Weasleys surrounded him, yet not one tried to talk to him. None of them talked at all. Last night, after the battle, each of the family had gone to sleep. Where they had slept, George didn't know. All he knew was that he would not sleep, would not leave this table until Fred showed up.

"Mum, I…" Bill began "I think we should head back to the Burrow. It's too hard to stay here much longer."

Molly nodded slightly, but didn't speak. They sat in silence. George wasn't really listening to the conversation. He was waiting for Fred.

"Well, we can't leave without Harry and Hermione. I would never forgive myself if I just left them here all alone." said Molly. "Ron, do you know where they are?"

"Hermione was helping Madam Pomfrey. I'll get her." Ron stood up, shaking slightly, and left the Great Hall.

George couldn't stand it. Why wouldn't anyone tell him where Fred was? He didn't want to bring it up, but obviously something had happened. Why was his mum fussing about Harry and Hermione now? They weren't her kids! Here she was fussing about them when her son was missing. George was starting to get anxious.

"I haven't seen Harry since the battle ended." Molly worried. "I hope he's all right."

"He's probably off somewhere, blaming himself for everything. Bet he's sulking around instead of talking to us." Ginny sounded angry. "He does stuff like that all the time. The noble sacrifice. That's why, why he broke up with me before he went on that _adventure _to destroy Horocruxes!"

"He just wanted to keep you safe, Gin."

"I know Bill, and really that was fine but it's very mean of him to make Mum anxious after, after…" Ginny trailed off with a glance at George.

Why were they staring at him like that? George couldn't figure it out. And Mum forgot to point out the obvious, George thought. Not only could they not leave without Harry and Hermione, they couldn't leave with out Fred! Perhaps Fred was helping Madam Pomfrey out, like Hermione. That was a reasonable solution. After all, isn't laughter the best medicine?

"I'm going to go help Fred."

"What did you say, George?"

"I said I'm going to help Fred. In the hospital wing." Why were they staring at him again? Why wasn't Mum happy that he wanted to help out his brother? Maybe she thought he and Fred needed to spend some time apart. "Mum, I know you think I need to spend more time with the rest of the family, but I haven't seen Fred since the middle of the battle." Something had happened then. George couldn't remember what. He didn't want to remember.

"But Georgie, you can't help Fred there's nothing to do. I, I wish there was but…" the rest of Molly's sentence was engulfed in tears.

"Wow Mum. I never thought you would want me to not help out. Of course there's help needed, so many were injured in the battle." George stood up, walked out, towards the hospital wing.

"Should I stop him, Dad?" Percy asked "and is he going crazy?"

"No" replied Arthur "he will have to face it soon. He'll have to face that Fred is dead."

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Draco Malfoy watched George Weasley stand up and leave. George looked thoroughly unconcerned. Was he really that unaffected by his twins death? Was he traumatized? Putting on a happy face? Whatever it was George was doing, however he managed to face people, Draco wanted to know. Some of Draco's friends, if there was anyone he could really call a friend, he thought bitterly, had died. And everyone, he was sure blamed him for the death of others.

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Please review! Thank you


	3. Searching

The hospital wing was full. Beds lined every wall, and more floated in the center of the room. No wonder Fred decided to help out here, George thought, now I just need to find him.

"Excuse me; do you know where my brother is?"

"Which one, George?" replied Madam Pomfrey "After all there are so many of them."

George marveled at how she could make a joke while tending so many people. He had thought that only he and Fred could make everything a joke.

"I'm looking for Fred. My mum said he was here, and since we were going to leave to go back to the Burrow I wanted to find him. We can't leave him behind." George smiled.

"Oh, George. Don't you know what happened?"

"What do you mean?" Madam Pomfrey must be talking about the thing George couldn't, wouldn't, remember.

"Fred died, George. You know that, I know you know that."

"No, you're lying! Fred is here helping out he's fine! Just show me where he is so I can go**."** Fred was fine, he had _to be_ fine. Fred dead, that was unthinkable.

"Come George."

Madam Pomfrey led George to the back of the hospital wing. Row upon row of bed were laid out, the sheets tucked in neatly. The occupants of the beds lay unmoving. Lupin, Tonks. Her hair was still pink. That would have made her happy, thought George. Now Madam Pomfrey taking Georges hand, steering him towards a bed in the corner, the man lying there had red hair. No. He couldn't have red hair. That couldn't be. There must be something wrong. George heard Madam Pomfrey say something, he didn't know what. He couldn't hear. Something was wrong with his ear. Something must be wrong with his eyes too, because what he was seeing could not possibly be real. George sank down to his knees, holding the hand of the red-head lying there. He felt someone place a hand on his shoulder, whisper to him, try to get him to stand up and leave. But he couldn't move. He couldn't do anything but sit there, holding Fred's, hand and crying. Because Fred would not be coming home with George.

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"Harry, we're leaving now."

"I'm not coming Ron."

"What do you mean you're not coming? Mum was so worried this morning, when she couldn't find you."

Harry turned slowly to face Ron.

"I can't go back with you."

"And why exactly is that, I'd like to know?"

Harry didn't answer. What could he say; I can't come with you because I'm afraid Ginny will hate me? Afraid you and your family will blame me for Fred's death? Because I will not be able to see the Weasley, especially Molly, without blaming myself for every bit of worry and pain I have caused you in seven years?

"Well?"

Harry shook his head.

"What does that mean, Harry? I didn't ask you a yes or no question." Ron sounded exasperated.

"I'm not coming with you."

"It's not really an option, mate. I know you're beating yourself up. If you don't come with us, you'll have another thing to feel guilty about, making my mum worry about you even more."

"Blackmail, now?" Harry knew he had lost. "I'll come. Where's Hermione?"

Ron was triumphant. "She's at the hospital wing. Don't worry, she isn't hurt. She's trying to get George to leave."

"Why won't George leave?"

"He won't leave Fred's side. He was kind of in denial about Fred dying." Ron looked close to tears. "Kind of like you were after Sirius, you know, died."

Harry didn't know what to think. "So what do we do now?"

"Let's go back to the Great Hall. Charlie and Percy are there. We'll just to wait." Ron turned, and as Harry followed him, walked out, towards the Great Hall.

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Draco sat quietly, watching people move about and comfort each other. The Hall was crowded, yet no one came near where Draco sat, alone. He knew he should try to help, apologize. But an apology would mean nothing. It was just empty words. Not many people had even glance at Draco since the battle. But the few glances he had received were full of unconcealed hatred.

"Draco, baby…" Narcissia whispered.

"Don't call me that." Draco couldn't bear to look at his mother. He knew what he would see. A tear-stained face, full of worry, yet so relived that Draco was alive. Draco couldn't stand it. He didn't feel guilty. He hadn't killed anyone. But he couldn't stand to think that his mother was worried about him. When you worry about someone it means you love them. You don't allow someone you love to be put in danger. Narcissia had apologized many times throughout the morning for not protecting Draco from the Dark Lord. She said "He would have killed me!" But, thought Draco, Potters parents were in the same position, and they gave up their lives to defend him. That's another thing Potter has that I don't. Love.

"We should go home." Narcissia continued "settle back in."

"I'm not going back, mother. Not to _that_ place."

"Then where will you go?" Narcissia worried.

"I'll stay here; help out, if anyone will let me." Draco said scornfully.

"Why wouldn't people let you help out? And I'll stay too then."

"No! Mother, I just need you to leave me alone for a little. As for why they wouldn't let me help, don't you see that everyone blames us?" Draco spoke quietly "and they have every right to blame us." He added.

"Fine, you don't want me. I'll go then. See that the house is thoroughly cleaned before you come back." Narcissia was crying now.

I'm never going back Draco thought. "You do that, Mother."

Narcissia stood up and nodded tightly. She turned and walked out of the Great Hall. Stares followed her. If anything Draco now felt even worse than he had felt before.

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AN: Review, review! I would appreciate 5 reviews before I post the next chapter, but if I don't get them, I will post anyway. Thank you!


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